This invention pertains to a pneumatic or aerodynamic type separator for separation of lighter and heavier particles in a mixture. The invention particularly relates to such a separator for use in separating stems from fragments of tobacco leaves.
In general, the use of pneumatic type separators for separating stems from leaf fragments in a tobacco mixture is known. Examples of such prior art systems include those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,608,716 to Rowell, U.S. Pat. No. 2,941,667 to Hilgartner et al, U.S. Pat. No. 3,006,470 to Franken and U.S. Pat. No. 3,265,210 to Harte et al. The present invention represents an improvement over this various prior art in that higher efficiency separation of tobacco stems from leaves is achieved.